LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — At least a dozen state and federal legislators from northeastern and central Pennsylvania will not be back on the ballot in November.
Political science professors say in some cases, politicians see the writing on the wall.
Pennsylvania politics will soon look a lot different.
Political Science Professor Benjamin Toll from Wilkes University said many lawmakers have been reassessing their political futures in recent weeks.
"You see this particularly happening among Democrats, especially throughout Pennsylvania and in Congress today, they're going to retire," Toll said. "That will allow them to have the golden parachute; go work in other industries after they have left Congress. Instead of leaving as a loser, they get to leave as someone who has chosen to leave."
Some, Toll said, may be wary of the current political climate.
"We do live in a very divisive time right now, and there certainly could be politicians that say 'I've had enough, I've had enough of playing this game,'" he said.
But in Toll's view, it all comes down to whether they think they can win again.
Redistricting made those decisions easier for some, including Congressman Fred Keller and State Senator John Yudichak.
"They waited until the maps are finalized, and then they look around," Toll said. "They see the fundraising totals, they look at who is going to be running against them, and they decide that it's better for them and their professional career to not lose."
Bloomsburg University Political Science Professor Dr. Neil Strine said the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholding the new district maps Thursday was another significant moment.
"Shortly after that decision came down, there were at least three members of the state House of Representatives who decided that they are not going to seek re-election," he said.
One of them was Karen Boback of Wyoming County.
We're seeing a perfect storm, Strine said, of longstanding politicians calling it a career.
"I believe, statewide between the House and the Senate, we have 31 open seats in the state legislature," Strine said. "So yeah, we're going to see a lot of new faces."
New faces don't necessarily mean a shift in political power at the state level.
Strine said studies show Republicans should retain control of the state's house and senate in the next election cycle.
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